Addressing Disparities in College Access: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of the Importance of a College-Going Culture and a Caring School Environment

• In Event: 41.083 - Roundtable Session 15
  In Roundtable Session: 41.083-10 - Ecological Perspectives on School Culture and Climate in Socioeconomically and Ethnically Diverse Contexts

Abstract

College access for students of color and students from low-income backgrounds is a longstanding issue. In this paper, the authors--using a mixed-methods design--investigate the salience of a site based school reform initiative situated around access to college. Specifically, the authors explore the relationship between a school’s college-going culture and students’ engagement in the college-going process and their educational aspirations and motivations. Findings suggest that such cultures have the potential to help redress disparities in access to college.

Authors

• Jonathan C. W. Davis, University of California - Los Angeles

• Robert Cooper, University of California - Los Angeles